Short description

It is about promoting balance of diet and ideal meal frequency among children in Ongino sub-county, Kumi district, Uganda, by using pictorial meal plan charts and alarm wall clocks.

The problem we aim to solve

We want to tackle the problem of poor balancing of diet by caretakers and low frequency of meals for children. This is because, food intake directly affects the nutritional status of children leading to deprivation of essential nutrients to the body for its sustenance. A study done in Ongino sub-county revealed close association of malnutrition with education level of caretakers. Therefore, we want to influence rational decision making for meals by caretakers of these children.

Our solution

According to a study done in Ongino sub-county, 35.2% of children were stunted, 22.3% were underweight and 15.4% were wasted. This prevalence of malnutrition has been closely associated with low education status of the caretakers of children, inadequate food intake and other natural factors like climatic changes. In our project, the aim is to reduce this prevalence by instigating the use of meal plan charts and alarm wall clocks in households. When the caretakers use the meal plan charts, they will be able to judiciously provide balanced diets to children. This will condense the prevalence of wasting and underweight which represent the current nutritional status and recent loss of weight, respectively in children. In a long run, stunting which represents chronic malnutrition will be mitigated as well. On the other hand, this project will promote Primary Health Care in this community, by meeting 80-90% of the children’s nutritional needs at home. As a result, there will be a reduction in the number of malnourished children in health facilities. The prevalence of other diseases will also reduce because the immunity of children will have been fortified by good dietary intake. Therefore, resources are saved for other purposes. It will also boost the health system by extending primary nutritional care to household level. The expectation will be better health outcomes among children, especially reducing the mortality and morbidity rate among children due to malnutrition.